Zhang Cang 張蒼 (253—152 BC) was a Chinese military general, philosopher, and politician during the
Western Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...
. He was the representative thinker of the
Yin-Yang School, as well as a Confucian scholar, general, and prime-minister under
Liu Bang
Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emper ...
(Han Gaozu, the founder of the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
). Evidence on his life is contained in the ''
Book of Han
The ''Book of Han'' or ''History of the Former Han'' (Qián Hàn Shū,《前汉书》) is a history of China finished in 111AD, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. I ...
'' and some later sources.
Life
Zhang Cang was born in Yangwu 陽武 (present day
Yuanyang,
Henan Province
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
).
In his youth, Zhang studied in
Xun Kuang
Xun Kuang (; BCE), better known as Xunzi (; ), was a Chinese philosopher of Confucianism who lived during the late Warring States period. After his predecessors Confucius and Mencius, Xunzi is often ranked as the third great Confucian philosop ...
's circle, which was known for teaching prominent figures such as
Han Fei
Han Fei (233), also known as Han Feizi or Han Fei Zi, was a Chinese philosopher or statesman of the " Legalist" (Fajia) school during the Warring States period, and a prince of the state of Han.
Han Fei is often considered to be the greatest r ...
and
Li Si
Li Si (Mandarin: ; BCSeptember or October 208 BC) was a Chinese philosopher, politician, and calligrapher of the Qin dynasty. He served as Chancellor (or Prime Minister) from 246 to 208 BC under two rulers: Qin Shi Huang, the king of the Qin ...
. When the state of Qin conquered other vassal states of Zhou Dynasty, he came to Qin's capital Xianyang and became an official to manage the imperial books. During the rule of
Er Shi huang, Zhang Cang broke the imperial law and fled to his hometown. At that time, people, and the nobles of former six vassal states rose up against the Qin's rule. Liu Bang, a general from Chu, was ordered by King Huai of Chu to lead his army westward. Zhang Cang enrolled Liu Bang's troops upon their passing of Yangwu.
Zhang Cang became a general in Liu Bang's army and arrived in Nanyang. When the Chu troops attacked Nanyang, Zhang's misbehaviour became the reason for his condemnation to death. However, he was saved by
Wang Ling (
王陵), an old friend of Liu Bang and the commander-in-chief, who later succeeded
Cao Can
Cao Shen or Cao Can (died 190 BC), courtesy name Jingbo (), was a chancellor of the Western Han dynasty. He participated in the Chu–Han Contention on Liu Bang ( Emperor Gaozu of Han)'s side and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han ...
on the post of prime minister of the Han Empire. Zhang Cang appreciated Wang Ling greatly from that day on, and regarded him as his father. Later on, after becoming the prime minister, Zhang would always visit Wang Ling's residence after court meeting to care Wang Ling's wife as his mother after Wang Ling died. According to the ''Book of Han'', Wang Ling saw the stripped Zhang Cang on the spot of execution and wondered at his impressively tall and beautiful body and persuaded Liu Bang to spare Zhang.
In BC 206, Liu Bang was named King of Han by
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu (, –202 BC), born Xiang Ji (), was the Hegemon-King (Chinese: 霸王, ''Bà Wáng'') of Western Chu during the Chu–Han Contention period (206–202 BC) of China. A noble of the Chu state, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dynas ...
, another Chu general and claimant on the succession of the rule in China and Liu Bang's future arch-rival. Liu Bang went to Han, his kingdom. Zhang Cang followed him and went to Hanzhong. Some months late, some former generals who had no gains from Xiang Yu's post-war arrangement rebelled (cf.
Tian Rong
''Tiān'' () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for heaven and a key concept in Chinese mythology, Chinese philosophy, philosophy, and Chinese folk religion, religion. During the Shang dynasty (17th―11th century BCE), the Chinese referred to ...
and his activity in reestablishing the unified Kingdom of Qi, despite Xiang Yu's will). Xiang Yu drove Emperor Yi of Chu, the lord to all the kings in name, to Chen (modern
Chenzhou
Chenzhou () is a prefecture-level city located in the south of Hunan province, China, bordering the provinces of Jiangxi to the east and Guangdong to the south. Its administrative area covers , 9.2% of the provincial area, and its total populatio ...
, Hunan Province), and then ordered King of Jiujiang and King of Linjiang secretly to murder the Emperor Yi.
Liu Bang was also unsatisfied with Xiang Yu. After Xiang Yu went eastward to
Pengcheng
Xuzhou (徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area ma ...
(modern
Xuzhou
Xuzhou (徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area ma ...
,
Jiangsu Province
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...
), he conquered three kingdoms which Xiang Yu founded. Then Han's troops matched eastward and the small kingdoms between Han and Chu surrendered to Han troops and joined the war against Xiang Yu's
West Chu. Zhang Cang was one of the generals. Liu Bang ordered his generals to attack West Wei, Zhao and Dai. The three kingdoms were conquered, their kings surrendered or killed. Liu Bang nominated
Zhang Er as the King of Zhao, and Zhang Cang as the Prime Minister to Zhang Er. Then Zhang Cang was changed as the governor of Dai, and then as the Prime Minister when Dai became a kingdom.
Zhang Cang finished his military career after Han Empire put down the rebellion of
King Yan
In Chinese mythology and religion, King Yan () is the god of death and the ruler of Diyu, overseeing the "Ten Kings of Hell" in its capital of Youdu. He is also known as King Yanluo (), a transcription of the Sanskrit for "King Yama" (/, ). Kin ...
. For his merits, Zhang Cang was titled Marquis of
Beiping
"Beijing" is from pinyin ''Běijīng,'' which is romanized from , the Chinese name for this city. The pinyin system of transliteration was approved by the Chinese government in 1958, but little used until 1979. It was gradually adopted by various ...
. When
Xiao He
Xiao He (257 BC–193 BC) was a Chinese politician of the early Western Han dynasty. He served Liu Bang (Emperor Gao), the founder of the Han dynasty, during the insurrection against the Qin dynasty, and fought on Liu's side in the Chu–Han Co ...
became the empire's prime minister, Zhang Cang was appointed as the Minister of Audit, working as assistant to Prime Minister, because of his expertise in mathematics and music.
In 195 BC,
Ying Bu
Ying Bu (died 195 BC) was a warlord and vassal king who lived in the early Han dynasty. He was a native of Lu County (六縣; present-day Lu'an, Anhui). In his early life under the Qin dynasty, Ying Bu was convicted and sentenced to ''qing'' (黥 ...
the King of
Huainan Kingdom
Huainan Kingdom was a Government_of_the_Han_dynasty#Kingdoms,_marquisates,_and_fiefs_of_princesses, kingdom of China's Han dynasty, located in what is now parts of Anhui, Jiangxi and Hubei provinces.
History
The title "King (or Prince) of Huaina ...
rose up against Han Empire and soon was defeated and killed, Liu Bang nominated his youngest son Liu Chang as the King of Huainan Kingdom. Zhang Cang was appointed as the Prime Minister of Huainan. In 181, Zhang Cang came back to Chang'an, the capital of Han Empire, and took the position of Yushi Daifu, the vice Prime Minister and the Supreme Justice of the Empire. The next year, as the member of the clique of meritorious generals and minister, Zhang Cang took part in the coup d'état against
Empress Dowager Lü
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...
and extinguished the Lü's family as soon as she died. Then Zhang Cang also took part in electing
Liu Heng the King of Dai Kingdom as the Emperor.
In BC176,
Guan Ying
Guan Ying (died 176 BC), posthumously known as Marquis Yi of Yingyin, was a Chinese military general and politician who served as a chancellor of the Western Han dynasty.
Life
Guan Ying was from Suiyang (), which is present-day Shangqiu, Hena ...
died, and Zhang Cang succeeded to his position of Prime Minister of the Empire; staying in the position for more than ten years. At the end of rule of Emperor Xiaowen (Liu Heng), he participated in the cosmological argument concerning the position of the Han Dynasty in correlation with the ''
wu xing Wuxing may refer to:
Places in China Counties and districts
*Huzhou, formerly Wuxing County, Zhejiang, China
*Wuxing District (吴兴区), central district of Huzhou
Subdistricts (五星街道)
*Wuxing Subdistrict, Mudanjiang, in Dong'an District ...
''. Some scholars thought Han Dynasty corresponded to Earth, and must change the color of emperor and minister's uniforms into yellow. Meanwhile, the right correlate was Water, and so the empire must continue to use black as the noblest color as usual. The current correlate was established by Zhang Cang upon the foundation of the empire. However, a yellow dragon was found in Chengji (modern Gansu Province) was used as an argument against his theory. Correspondingly, the Emperor established
a new era
A New Era ( es, Un Nuevo Tiempo, UNT) is a centre-left political party in Venezuela. It received 11% of the vote in the 2008 regional elections. The party arose in Zulia State, Venezuela's most populous, and remains far stronger in its home r ...
, to Zhang's discontent. As a result, Zhang Cang resigned his post saying that he was enough old and ill.
Zhang Cang died in 152 BC, being more than 100 years of age. He was given the
posthumous title
A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments or ...
"Wen" (), and entered history as Marquis Wen of Beiping.
Thought
Zhang Cang is described as a prominent master of the calendar and
music theory
Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory". The first is the "rudiments", that are needed to understand music notation (ke ...
of his time, making great contributions to System Construction of Han Dynasty according to Sima Qian's record. Zhang Cang is regarded as the representative of Yin-Yang School; his writings edited into the book bearing his name.
It is believed that ''
The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art
''The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art'' () is a Chinese mathematics book, composed by several generations of scholars from the 10th–2nd century BCE, its latest stage being from the 2nd century CE. This book is one of the earliest sur ...
'', the most important book in early history of Chinese mathematics, was edited by him.
Zhang Cang was also a representative Confucian scholar of the transition period from the Warring States to Han.
Kong Yingda
Kong Yingda (; 574 – 648), courtesy names Chongyuan () and Zhongda (), was a Chinese philosopher during the Sui and Tang dynasty. An amorous Confucianist, who is considered one of the most influential Confucian scholars in Chinese history. H ...
(574 – 648) names him as recipient of Xunzi's transmission of the ''
Zuo Zhuan'' (The Zuo Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Chronicle)
[孔颖达《左传正义》杜预《春秋序》注引刘向《别录》:左丘明授曾申;申授吴起;起授其子期;期授楚人铎椒,铎椒作《抄撮》八卷;授虞卿,虞卿作《抄撮》九卷;授荀卿;荀卿授张苍。] His expertise in the ''Zuo Zhuan'' did not constitute the mainstream in the field, since the ''Zuo Commentary'' was related to the Old Text school, while in his time the New Text school was more popular (see
New Text Confucianism
New Text Confucianism () is a school of thought in Confucianism that was based on Confucian classics recompiled in the early Han dynasty by Confucians who survived the burning of books and burying of scholars during the Qin dynasty. The survivors ...
).
Being a student of Xunzi, he transmitted his teaching to
Jia Yi
Jia Yi (; c. 200169 BCE) was a Chinese essayist, poet and politician of the Western Han dynasty, best known as one of the earliest known writers of ''fu'' rhapsody and for his essay "Disquisition Finding Fault with Qin" (''Guò Qín Lùn'' ), wh ...
.
References
Position career
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cang, Zhang
253 BC births
152 BC deaths
Chinese Confucianists
Chinese music theorists
Chinese political philosophers
Generals from Henan
Han dynasty generals from Henan
Han dynasty philosophers
Han dynasty politicians from Henan
Han dynasty prime ministers
Natural philosophers
Philosophers from Henan